Free DDP 2008-Gratuity

[redwoodysoup]

I like many other are on the free ddp in Sept. I know about the changes to the plan this year, but am confused over the Gratuity aspect. I'm sure I read somewhere that Disney will be automatically charging the gratuity to the bill at a paticular rate %. Can anyone confirm this as I would like to know how much its going to cost me. Thanks

[debs2028]

I like many other are on the free ddp in Sept. I know about the changes to the plan this year, but am confused over the Gratuity aspect. I'm sure I read somewhere that Disney will be automatically charging the gratuity to the bill at a paticular rate %. Can anyone confirm this as I would like to know how much its going to cost me. Thanks

I think if there are more than 6 people they automatically add a tip to the bill at 18% pre tax

if your service is below par you can have a word with the manager and have it removed

If there are less than 6 they give you suggested tip ammount which you can choose to pay in cash or have it added to the room key and this will be charged to your credit card(or however you choose to pay your final bill)

If you pay in cash you can leave what you think is appropriate
I am in the same position and will probably pay in cash and leave the suggested ammount. There will be 4 of us so I am budgeting for about $20 to $25 a meal, might sometimes be a bit less or more depending on where you eat.

Have a look at the menus and prices on here and get a rough idea of how much your average meal would cost and then you can sort out how many extra dollers you will need(you may need less if you have children in party)

Hope this helps
Debs

[anniealfie]

This will add a lot to our Holiday budget as we are dining as 4 adults0 and 2 children - i know it might be difficult to work out but for example we are eating on the first morning at Chef Mickey - roughly how much will we have to pay (as we are Free Disney Dining)

Thanks X

[russrattan]

you are in the same position as us we have not bugeted for this also-some meals you may be leaving up to $60-$80-thats why we wont be tipping high-i have had a lot of stick on other forums but if you hav,nt got it what can you do.i thought it was free?

[Kim]

We always have a tips kitty.

At the start of the holiday we all put in between $50-$100 depending on the number of days we are there.

We pay the tips with the Key to the World card and the pay off the card with the kitty.

I have worked it out and the tips should be between $6-$8 per person per day.

Kim

[Leanne1977]

This will add a lot to our Holiday budget as we are dining as 4 adults0 and 2 children - i know it might be difficult to work out but for example we are eating on the first morning at Chef Mickey - roughly how much will we have to pay (as we are Free Disney Dining)

Thanks X

If you tip 20% like we do then you will be looking at around $22. However some people do not think it is necessary to tip this amount at a buffet as you are not getting full table service.

We still do tip 20% but others happily leave $5 or so for the server who has brought and refreshed drinks.:wave:

[debs2028]

This will add a lot to our Holiday budget as we are dining as 4 adults0 and 2 children - i know it might be difficult to work out but for example we are eating on the first morning at Chef Mickey - roughly how much will we have to pay (as we are Free Disney Dining)

Thanks X

Hi
For your party the tip will be aprox $22. They also do a photograph as you enter which you may like to purchase.
Your evening meals will probably be more expensive though,so the suggested tip will be more

[debs2028]

you are in the same position as us we have not bugeted for this also-some meals you may be leaving up to $60-$80-thats why we wont be tipping high-i have had a lot of stick on other forums but if you hav,nt got it what can you do.i thought it was free?


How many in your party that the tip will be so expensive, will you be splitting it between families???

[MattF]

you are in the same position as us we have not bugeted for this also-some meals you may be leaving up to $60-$80-thats why we wont be tipping high-i have had a lot of stick on other forums but if you hav,nt got it what can you do.i thought it was free?


Those tips seem very high. How many are in your party and where are you eating? If there are lots of you can you not split the tip? The food is free but the tip was never included on this year's plan.

[BarryandCaron]

Those tips seem very high. How many are in your party and where are you eating? If there are lots of you can you not split the tip? The food is free but the tip was never included on this year's plan.

It could be alcoholic drinks that is pushing the gratuity up; $300/$400 for a meal :omg:

Caron

[redwoodysoup]

Thanks for your replies so far. Its only me, wife and baby who will just be 2 so wont cost me too much to be honest, but will just be a bit of a nuisance after last year when tips were included in the free ddp. I'm just wondering how it will work when we are over there as I thought I read somewhere that they would be adding the tip automatically this year at quite a silly rate- over 20% I thought. Maybe I was just dreaming!

[russrattan]

they are not adding to bill but they will expect 20%-

[BarryandCaron]

they are not adding to bill but they will expect 20%-

The suggested amounts on the bill that you are given are for 18% and 20% as far as I know.

Caron

[mitch84]

I wondered this too, we have 3 buffets booked, CP, Boma and H+V, 2 adults. We also have Rose and Crown and Yachtsman booked which wil obv be more expensive.

We will be having some alcoholic drinks but budgeting is hard, we are only there for a week though.

I don't think we'd leave 20% for buffets!! That seems a lot

[BarryandCaron]

I wondered this too, we have 3 buffets booked, CP, Boma and H+V, 2 adults. We also have Rose and Crown and Yachtsman booked which wil obv be more expensive.

We will be having some alcoholic drinks but budgeting is hard, we are only there for a week though.

I don't think we'd leave 20% for buffets!! That seems a lot

Boma dinner is $27 so a 15% tip would be $8 for the two of you. This equates to about £4 so not too bad really depending on the service you get. It will be your alcoholic drinks that will bump the gratuity up.

My honest opinion is that the gratuity was removed because too many people were ordering the most expensive items on the menus. With customers having to pay their own gratuities this year it may mean they don't order the most expensive just for the sake of it.

I'm not saying you have/would ever do this so don't think that. Our meals are pretty equal as DH likes steaks (most expensive items) and I like pasta/chicken (least expensive).

Caron

[mitch84]

Yeah I see what you mean. It could be tempting for some people to try to get their moneys worth!!

[debs2028]

I thought they might have changed it as lots of people were complaining that the service had gone down with ddp as the tip was automatic.

There were definitely 2 places last year where I would have left a reduced tip if the tip had not already been included
I was also a bit fed up with the servers giving us the bill half way through the meal!!!

Am hoping that some of the service is better this year!!!

We will still chose what we like of the menu, we did eat a lot of steak last year as we don't have it very much at home but sometimes the children (although counted as adults) had cheap menu options

i think it is still a good deal when given free that is why I don't mind leaving a decent tip.

[fiona3103]

there were posts earlier this year to say that gratuities would be added as a matter of course to people using the DDE card which from memory is a card you can buy (fla residents only???) to allow you to receive an automatic 20% discount on meals bought in the world & resorts, if this is wrong Im sure someone will be along soon to correct me. We will be keeping cash for our tips rather than add it to our room key as like others we felt some of the service last year on the DDP was very poor compared to previous years & in one case we wouldnt have left anything at all our server was so rude & ignored us a lot of the time over a large party of americans next to us who werent on the DDP>

[redwoodysoup]

Its certainly going to be interesting to see how the service is this year and no doubt even more people will be on the free dining this year as I know the Americans are entitled to it during most of the same period as us Brits. Our service last year was pretty good and they were all really good with my 13 month son. That said if I dont get good service for any particular reason I won't tip as much and I'm not one of these Brits who's too frightened to complain.

[russrattan]

great sucess just found out on the diss board you don,t have to pay 10% service charge at the csr if you are eating cs this is included in the FREE dinning plan-you normally have to pay this-top result

[russrattan]

It could be alcoholic drinks that is pushing the gratuity up; $300/$400 for a meal :omg:

Caron

would just like to say that there are 2x adults 2x2 kids in our party and we are a good muslin family who don,t drink alcohol

[BarryandCaron]

would just like to say that there are 2x adults 2x2 kids in our party and we are a good muslin family who don,t drink alcohol

Why have you said some meals you may be leaving up to $60-$80-thats why we wont be tipping high then? I can't see even a meal at the Yachtsman would cost $400 to warrant an $80 tip for a family of four.

Caron